Most Disappointing "2" Sequel?

[digitalpress]

Let me ask you this.

We've all had that favorite game that we eagerly awaited the sequel for. I don't mean those never-ending game series with endless sequels like Final Fantasy, I mean that SECOND game, the true sequel to an original favorite. There have been many many classic "top ten" type sequels, from the memorable Mortal Kombat II and Sonic II through recent greats like Metal Gear Solid 2 and Tony Hawk 2...

What "follow up to the original" left you wishing it had been done differently?

[BHvrd]

Destruction Derby 2 for the PSX/one.

I think i'm in the minority here "not sure", but I loved the first game, but hated the second. Most reviews at the time seemed to say that the sequel was better, but I didn't see it. The controls were too floaty, and there wasn't nearly as much of an impact when you hit other cars, and the physics just didn't feel as realistic.

I'm not sure how they are both viewed today by the masses, but I would still love a solid sequel to that game, cause the first one "imo", was just great.

[ManekiNeko]

Skate or Die 2 for the NES. The hilarious opening cinema convinces you that you're stepped into something good, but after five minutes of clumsily skating through the streets of an ugly town, desperately trying to avoid its ugly citizens, you come to the conclusion that you just stepped in dog crap. Of all the NES games that should NOT have been turned into painfully long and overcomplicated adventures (but were anyway), Skate or Die has to be on the top of the list.

JR

[Gamereviewgod]

Devil May Cry 2. I know I'm going with the crowd here, but that's the first thing that came to mind.

[Shady Smurf]

Sadly, Chrono Cross from Chrono Trigger, sure it was a good game, but no Trigger

[Sotenga]

Blaster Master 2. I refuse to even call it a game.

[lendelin]

Startropics 2 - Zoda's Revenge (NES): as varied with an interesting story plot, strategic boss fights, surprise elements and atmosphere (!) the original was, the sequel was a big disappointment. It lacked all of the above, and was an uninspired, soulless clone of the first by sticking to all the formal gameplay elements of the original.

Devil May Cry 2 (PS2): see above!

If you compare originals and disappointing sequels, you can figure out what makes a great game vs. just a good or average one. The great ones have achieve identification with the game created by atmosphere (graphics, sound), varied gameplay, and story plot. The average sequels can have good or even better graphics, same gameplay elements, and similar story, but what they lack is identification with the game achieved by atmosphere; that's what makes them uninspired and soulless.

[jaydubnb]

Super Mario Bros 2. I thought the game was so - so back in the day, but now....? Blah. It was simply too much of a radical change form the SMB I knew and loved.

[baby_bytes]

Super Mario Bros 2. I thought the game was so - so back in the day, but now....? Blah. It was simply too much of a radical change form the SMB I knew and loved.

Well remember the Japanese thought us American's were stupid...so they gave us a simple game, to top it off a game that they ripped off...well not really ripped off cuz they bought it...even still SMB 2 the japanese one was still kinda like the 1st one...just more complicated...i still sometimes wished they would have done it differently too tho

[Goodwill Hunter]

This thread has Driver 2 for the Playstation written all over it...

The original Driver remains one of my favorite games of all time. I still rerun the president's mission or play survival on the streets of San Francisco at least once a month. I think it is pure fun and it blew me away the first time I played it (once I got out of the parking garage, that is). I have 3 memory cards full of saved missions, and used to spend hours in the director mode fine-tuning replays until they rivaled scenes from Bullitt. Yes, the final mission was too hard (took me 3 weeks to beat it the first time), but beating that game gave me a sense of satisfaction that has been hard to top.

When I got wind that a sequel was in the works, I was constantly checking the web for news, leaks, screenshots, whatever I could find. My interest only climbed as I heard of on-foot missions, curved roads and the ability to drive any car in the game! Got frustrated as the release date kept getting kicked back, but it finally arrived. To this day, Driver 2 is the only game I have purchased on launch day, and it will probably be the last (I did get it at Best Buy with a free $10.00 gift card though...cheap bastard to the end).

Started to play it as soon as I got home, and could tell right away things had changed from the original, but not for the better. The badness of the on-foot missions make those in Rebel Strike look like genius...the curved roads did nothing to enhance gameplay, the graphics looked no better (perhaps worse) than the original, and the pop-up was hideous. The slow-down was pretty bad too, but not until the ambulance mission did I experience how bad. In the middle of a high-speed chase, the screen would slow and then freeze for a second or two, making it damn near impossible to avoid a wreck when the action continued. Boy was I pissed!

I did eventually finish the game, but most of the fun of the original was gone. Because my hopes were so high, I've never been nearly as disappointed by a sequel as I was by Driver 2. GTA III was the the game that D2 wanted to be and I enjoyed it a great deal (especially the mission where you got to take out a thinly disguised Tanner). But now that the long-promised Driver 3 is on it's way (delayed again, sound familar?), I find myself checking for updates and screenshots again. I hope they've managed to do the original Driver justice in D3...but even if they haven't, it couldn't make me feel as bad as Driver 2 did.

Rich

[BenT]

The European Strider 2 is an easy answer, but that was later said to be out of the Strider canon.

DMC2 is a good choice. I feel bad for the guy who directed it -- he was a former game journalist! His newest project is Monster Hunter, and that seems to be decent.

[ManekiNeko]

Blaster Master 2. I refuse to even call it a game.

You mean the Genesis game? Everybody seems to hate this game with a burning passion, but I just can't figure out why. The graphics are nice, and it plays fairly well. The level designs aren't particularly clever, but I've played worse sequels than this.

Let me add Final Fight 2, Zelda II: The Adventures of Link, and Castlevania II: Simon's Quest to this list. Final Fight 2 was a rather limp continuation of the adventures of Mike Haggar and his friends. The addition of Carlos (essentially Strider with a Latino name) didn't make up for the painfully boring gameplay and lackluster enemies.

I never warmed up to the original Zelda, but Zelda II was even less compelling. Turning it into a side-scrolling platformer with RPG elements took all the fun out of the game... you could either explore the countryside or fight enemies, but not both. In addition to that, some of the caves contained foes that were damned near impossible to kill without tedious level building. I actually had more fun with Pack-In-Video's quirky Rambo.

Castlevania II is the poster child of one of the most aggravating trends of the NES era... taking the arcade play mechanics of a series and transplanting them into a stale adventure. This almost never worked on the NES, because the once satisfying arcade gameplay is watered down to the point of being unenjoyable, and the level design is too bland and simplistic to be as engrossing as a straight adventure game. Sure, Symphony of the Night did eventually prove that a Castlevania game with depth could work, but Simon's Quest demonstrated that the late 80's was NOT the right time for such a game.

JR

[Stewie]

I still do not like Zelda 2-The Adventures of Link

I prefer Battle of Olympus to link

[XtremeGamerz]

newer of a game. but Raw 2 for xbox was a huge disapointment from the first one. i put many hours into the first one, only play 3 matches on the second, it simply sucks.

[esquire]

Ikari Warriors II for the NES. I just flat out hate that game compared to the first one.

[GaijinPunch]

Sonic Adventure 2. Not the worst let down, but nowhere near as good as the first. Sonic Heroes is even worse than SA2.

DMC2 (that's easy)

But, the king of kings for THE SHITTIEST sequel...

Rastan: Saga II

The arcade game is one of my all time favorite platformers, and the SMS version was pretty good as well. Rastan Saga II in all shapes and forms is garbage.


Re: Driver 2:
I know someone on the production team. I'll be sure to tell him that.

[ArnoldRimmer83]

I never warmed up to the original Zelda, but Zelda II was even less compelling.I actually had more fun with Pack-In-Video's quirky Rambo.

That's pretty harsh claiming Rambo is better than Zelda II. Sometimes I feel like the only person who likes that game.

The only really bad sequel that comes to my mind right now is Strider Returns Journey to Darkness. The level design was bland as hell in that game, and the music was awful. Capcom eventually made up for that game by making their own Strider 2.

[Mayhem]

DMC2 has been mentioned a couple of times... there's another vote.

And MGS2... still a good game, just too much cinema and not enough gameplay

[DigitalSpace]

Actraiser 2, SNES - The first Actraiser was great and innovative. I was disappointed that the sequel lacked the originality that made the first so appealing.

Driver 2, Playstation - Awful, very disappointing.

[Howie6925]

I have to agree with BHvrd destruction derby 2 is by far the worst sequel I have ever played . I broke a rental copy in half it was so bad.